ahimsa

[ uh-him-sah, uh-hing- ]

nounHinduism.

the principle of noninjury to living beings.

Origin of ahimsa

First recorded in 1830–35; from Sanskrit ahiṁsā “noninjury,” equivalent to a- privative suffix (cognate with Greek a- ) + hiṁsā injury, derivative of hánti “(he) slays,” Greek phónos “murder”; see origin at a-⁶

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for ahimsa

ahimsa

/ (ɑːˈhɪmsɑː) /

noun

(in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jainist philosophy) the law of reverence for, and nonviolence to, every form of life

Origin of ahimsa

Sanskrit, from a- 1 + himsā injury

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Browse